Vermont Legislature Gives Final Approval To Immigration Bill

The Vermont Legislature has given final approval to a bill that will give the governor greater control over how and when the state's police forces are used by the federal government to enforce President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

The Vermont House gave final approval to the measure Wednesday. The Senate passed the bill last month.

Rebecca Kelley, a spokeswoman for Republican Governor Phil Scott, says he will probably sign the bill next week.

The measure would empower the governor to approve agreements between police and federal agents who want to identify and remove immigrants. It also would bar police in some instances from providing information on residents to federal agents.

The legislation was proposed by Scott and Democratic Attorney General T.J. Donovan, who helped craft it.

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Vermont Republican Governor Phil Scott met with reporters at the Statehouse in Montpelier today to discuss a number of issues facing the legislature and his administration. One of the primary topics is a piece of legislation under consideration that would require any federal immigration actions in Vermont to be approved by the governor.

Vermont Republican Governor Phil Scott and state legislative leaders have introduced legislation that would clarify the duties of law enforcement in carrying out federal immigration tasks — and require that the governor first approve any local or state enforcement of federal immigration laws.